Orwick walks away from crop duster crash west of Hanley Falls

Thursday

Aug 16, 2012 at 9:00 AMSep 13, 2012 at 10:21 AM

A Clara City pilot, 47-year-old Bryce Orwick, walked away relatively unharmed after he crashed his crop dusting plane into a corn field west of Hanley Falls late Tuesday afternoon.Orwick’s plane was flying west bound, reportedly applying herbicide to a field operated by Aaron Ohlson, when it clipped a guy-wire and snagged a 115,000 volt over-head electric wire and crashed among the six-foot tall corn standing in the field.

By Eric J. MonsonStaff Writer

A Clara City pilot, 47-year-old Bryce Orwick, walked away relatively unharmed after he crashed his crop dusting plane into a corn field west of Hanley Falls late Tuesday afternoon. Orwick’s plane was flying west bound, reportedly applying herbicide to a field operated by Aaron Ohlson, when it clipped a guy-wire and snagged a 115,000 volt over-head electric wire and crashed among the six-foot tall corn standing in the field.The Hanley Falls fire and rescue squads arrived at the scene along with the Yellow Medicine County Sheriffs Department and the Clarkfield Ambulance. Orwick was found walking along the gravel road near the crash site and was able to wash-up at a farm house before the Clarkfield Ambulance drove him, in no-rush, to the Granite Falls Hospital for treatment.No foul-play, or criminal behavior is expected to come to light in investigation of the crash. “It was just an accident—a lucky accident,” said YMC Sheriff Bill Flaten. The Federal Aviation Administration is expected to investigate the crash site Wednesday. Officials from the Agriculture Department will also investigate due to the spill of herbicide caused by the crash. The nearest residence to the crash site was roughly 1/4 mile away.